


Preparations

by Rouser



Series: Ryder's Guide to the Galaxy [1]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Casual drinking, Family Reunion, Other, Sibling Bonding, vague Scott/Cora
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-10-24 12:02:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10741317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rouser/pseuds/Rouser
Summary: The Ryder clan discusses the Andromeda Initiative, and Sara and Scott need a drink after.  Pre-Andromeda, Year 2184.





	Preparations

To: Ryder, Scott [C2]

From: Ryder, Alec [CIV]

  Scott,

     I need to talk with you and your sister. It’s important.

            -Alec

. . .

To: Ryder, Alec [CIV]

From: Ryder, Scott [C2]

  Dad,

     I’ll be on shore leave at the Citadel next week.  We can meet then.

            -Scott

. . .

It’s easy to find them in the restaurant.

Alec picked some cheap, small, place that Scott had to imagine always looked this empty.  It was low-lit; the only sources of light came from some rickety spherical light fixtures hanging low from the ceiling.  Black leather booths lined the far two walls, with black shades covering the light from the general terminal glowing through the large windows.  The only other patron – a turian -- resided at the bar on the other side of the room, face down and looking like he wasn’t moving anytime soon.  

Scott wasn’t surprised though.  From the address Alec gave him – and the fact his father didn’t give a damn if the food was good or not -- he figured it was, well, exactly like this.

It’s wasn’t hard to find them in the narrow space.  Sara and Alec were already occupying the booth in the farthest corner; it looked like Sara had already initiated some small talk.

“Can I help you?” the human hostess asked.

“I’m okay, thanks.” Scott nodded politely as he walked past.

“Hey, Sara,” Scott smiled at his sister, sliding in the booth next to her. “Dad.”

Alec grunted a welcome.

The whole scene was jarring to Scott.

Months after Mom’s death, and here were the scraps of the Ryder clan, more distant than ever.  Alec didn’t look good.  The wrinkles on his face seemed to cut deeper than Scott remembered, his eyes sunken in.  Sara didn’t look great either.  Her hair was thrown up into a messy ponytail, and Scott had to wonder if the bags under her eyes were deeper than his own.

“So, Dad,” Sara jumped in, “What’s so important?”

“I need to talk to the both of you about something,” Alec said, “It’s called the Andromeda Initiative.”

“Oh yeah,” Sara exclaimed, “Some of the researchers I’ve been working with have been talking about it.”

“What is it?” Scott asked, “I saw some posters for it at the tram.”

“A chance for a new beginning,” Alec said, “The Initiative found seven habitable planets in this ‘Heleus Cluster’.  They’re taking four arks out there to start a new settlement.”

Scott knew exactly where this was going. “ .. and you’re going with them,” he finished.

Alec fixed his son with a faintly-irritated glare. “I’ve been working with Jien Garson, the Initiative’s founder.  She believes in it.”

“Do you?” Scott questioned.

Alec nodded firmly. “It’s a whole new galaxy.  A chance to be a true pioneer.  They’ve asked me to be the ‘Pathfinder’ for the human ark, the Hyperion.”

“And what exactly does a ‘pathfinder’ do?” Sara asked.

“It’s my job to find a new home for humanity,” Alec explained, “They’ve identified one of the planets, Habitat 7, as the prime candidate.  That’s our first stop.”

“You seem pretty set on this,” Scott noted. Alec once again grunted affirmatively.

“So when do you ship out?” There was a hardness to Sara’s voice.  Scott felt it too.  A lifetime of ‘barely-being-there’, and now he was leaving for good.

“2185,” Alec answered, “But, as Pathfinder, I’ll need a team to take with me.  A good team. Which is why I’ve requested you both be stationed with me, should you decide to join.”

Both Ryder children lit up at the premise.  Scott felt excitement radiating off of Sara, mingling with his own curiosity.

“A whole new galaxy …” Scott exclaimed.

“New adventures, new scenery … new kinds of trouble to get into,” Sara teased, playfully jabbing Scott’s ribs with her elbow.

Alec looked at his daughter first.  “We’ll need good scientists out in the field.  We’re the tip of the spear, the first boots on the ground.  Any scientific artifacts we come across, our Field Specialist will need to be the first one on it.”

“First one to play with alien tech,” Sara said, “I like the sound of that.”

Alec turned to his son.  “And Scott, I’ll need a good Recon Specialist out there.  Someone brave, dependable, not one to back down from a challenge, no matter how alien.”

“Sounds exciting,” Scott mused, “Everyday _would_ be different…”

“So what aren’t you telling us?” Sara cut to the chase.

Alec sighed. “Look, kids … it’s a one-way trip.  We’ll ride out the mass relays as far as we can, but we’ll still need to be put in cyro to cover the distance.  It’ll take six hundred years to get there.”

“Six hundred …”

“… years?” The true weight of the situation sunk in for both twins.

“That would mean …” Sara trailed off.

“You’d have to leave everything here behind,” Alec stated. “But it’s a one in a lifetime chance.  You can find a new home for humanity. Every adventure you ever wanted, right at your fingers. Answers to every question you’ve ever asked.”

Neither Sara and Scott replied, letting Alec’s words hang in the air.  Scott wanted to reach out, grab a hold of them, but the knowledge they came at a price held his hand still.

He was the first to speak. “It sounds great and all Dad, but …”

“… I think we just need some time to mull it over,” Sara finished.

“I understand,” Alec grunted. “Just don’t take too long.  Since you’re both still inexperienced, I’ll need to start some informal training for you both.”  He tapped on his omni-tool.  “I’ve sent you both the rest of the team’s dossiers. Look over them. You have until the last day of the month.”

And with that, Sara and Scott were alone in the bench.

“Well …” Sara said, “It’s never just ‘hi kids, how are you?’ with him, huh? A whole new galaxy …”

“I know,” Scott agreed, “It’s a lot to take in.”

Sara nudged Scott’s side. “Come on, let’s go get a drink.”

They hop out of the booth without a second thought and stroll into the general terminal. The bright neon signs sting Scott’s eyes at first, but it’s a familiar feeling, almost soothingly so.  It brings back good -- and bad -- memories of shore leave. Blurry, loud nights, familiar and strange faces, and memories of heat on his skin long since gone.  And right now, Scott wants to soak in everything in the here-and-now.

“Where should we go?” Sara asked.

Scott nods forward down the strip. “There’s a good bar about two blocks down.”

“Sounds good,” Sara agreed.  “So, how’s Arcturus been?”

Scott sighed.  “Same boring shit. Watching everyone else go off to fame and glory.  What about you; any cool finds?”

Sara inhaled deeply. “Not really.  I’ve reached out to a couple new sites, asking around, but I just keep getting doors shut in my face.”

Scott nodded in familiarity.  “You feel it too?  Ever since Dad got dishonorably discharged, it’s just felt like dead-end central.”

“I know,” Sara agreed, “All of a sudden, being Alec Ryder’s kid went from a very-good-thing to a very-bad-thing.  No one wants the trouble.”

They walked in the silence of mutual understanding, glad to be in each other’s company again.

A familiar blue neon sign came into Scott’s vision “Here.”

It’s still early enough, so they don’t have a problem finding seats at the large wrap-around bar.  There’s already more patrons here than at the last place.

Scott waves at the bartender. “Two shots please, human or asari. And hard please.”

“And two Rojo locos,” Sara added, “You gotta get better taste little bro.”

“I don’t think locos count,” Scott retorted.

“They do too!” Sara objected. “Better than half the shit you drink.”

Scott laughed it off, knowing there’s no argument he could make to even stand a chance of winning. He missed this; he missed Sara.  It finally hit home just how alone he had felt these past three years, since Mom ...

“We should do it,” Scott blurted out, “The Initiative. We should stay together. But I just … it’s a huge commitment, to leave everyone behind. Are you sure you’re ready for it?”

Sara shot him a halfhearted glare. “You really need to read your emails. If you were referring to Mila and I, we’re done.”

A pang of guilt hit Scott’s stomach. “Fuck, I’m sorry, Sara. What happened?” He wrapped his hand around the full shot glass in front of him and swallowed it down all in one gulp.  The clear liquid stung his throat, but he didn’t mind. Everything hurt well enough these days.

“It’s okay,” Sara shrugged, “Things just weren’t going anywhere. We didn’t even make it to the lifespan talk.”

“I’m glad you’re doing okay,” Scott stated. “So, how long did it take for you to find your rebound?”

“I’ll slap that stupid grin off your face,” Sara threatened before throwing back the shot that had been placed in front of her. “Two days. This hot engineer one base camp over.”

Scott had to laugh. “You ever think we’re a little fucked up? Some days I feel like the poster-child for daddy-issues.”

“Get in line,” Sara teased, “We both know I have the prettier face for the poster.”

“Depends who you ask,” Scott jested, “If we’re asking asari … they all have a thing for you for some reason. But human women? That’s my territory.”

The cocky expression on Sara’s face falls to one of mild annoyance. “Women aren’t territory, Scott.”

Scott’s cheeks flush. “No, that’s not what I - I didn’t mean ..”

“Relax, baby bro.” Sara smiled at him. “I was just teasing you, I know what you meant. I hope your flirting skills are better than this.”

Scott snorted. “I’ve seen you in action and we both know I’m way smoother than you.”

Rather than argue with him, Sara just brought her loco up to her lips and sipped it with a grumble. “Yeah, yeah. Dorkiness can be endearing too.”

Following her lead, Scott drank some of his loco too.  It was good -- like a weird but surprisingly tasty pina colada, energy drink, and beer rolled into one. “What about you, little bro,” Sara teased, “Still chronically single?”

Scott chortled. “By choice. Gotta leave some for you.”

“I’m serious,” Sara playfully hit his shoulder.

Scott inhales slowly, trying to think of a way to put it. “Nah, I’m serious too. No one’s really, you know, clicked.”

“Well that’s okay,” Sara soothed, “Just remember it’s okay to fall in love, yeah? Even if it doesn’t work out.”  Sara paused to sip her drink while her words had time to sink in. “ ‘cause you know I’m sure as hell not putting up with your cranky, I-haven’t-been-laid-in-eighty-years, grumpy ass when you’re old and wrinkly and these men and women don’t find you pretty anymore.”

Scott huffed. “I’ll always be pretty.”

Sara laughed before they fell into a soft silence.

“I miss Mom,” he said, meeting the same expression in Sara’s eyes.

“I do too. I wonder what she’d think of all of this.”

“She’d tell us to do it,” Scott said.  “You remember her last words. ‘Live your lives. Do great things.’”

“Yeah,” Sara agreed.  She toyed with her fingers. “You know what that means right?” She fingers were posed over her omni-tool, ready to pull up her email.

“Wait,” Scott said, grabbing her forearm, “Let’s not spoil the evening just yet.”

“Fair enough.” Sara lowered her hand back onto the bar top. “What now?”

“Actually, I was thinking” Scott raised his eyebrows. “Let’s check out those dossiers. See what kind of dating pool we’ll have in Andromeda.”

Sara grinned wolfishly. “I like the way you think.”

...

To: Ryder, Sara [C1]; Ryder, Scott [C2]

From: Ryder, Alec [CIV]

  Kids,

     I should have said this in person, but I know what my work has costed you both.  I should have kept more in touch after your mother passed away. The Initiative is a chance for a fresh start for all of us, as a family.

            -Alec

...

To: Ryder, Alec [CIV]; Ryder, Scott [C2]

From: Ryder, Sara [C1]

  We’re in, Dad.  No Ryder left behind, right?

            -Sara

 

Scott breathed a sigh of relief as he read Sara’s reply, now securely back in his bunk aboard Arcturus. There was a feeling in the pit of his stomach that he hadn't felt since the day he enlisted.  Nervousness, excitement, and even a guarded glimmer of hope for something fulfilling, something … more.

This better be the adventure of a lifetime.

 _Plus_ , he thought as his eyes slipped shut, _His dad’s lieutenant wasn’t hard on the eyes either._


End file.
